LAKELAND, Fla. — The Yankees’ message to Gleyber Torres: Don’t try to do too much. The 21-year-old top prospect made a slick sliding defensive play at second on a grounder to his left on Tuesday. He also went 1-for-3 at the plate, upping his spring average to .158.

“I don’t know if (he’s) rusty as (he) is such a special player on both sides of the ball that I think he probably — for a couple games there — maybe wanted to do a little bit too much offensively,” Aaron Boone said. “But our reminder to him is we know what you’re capable of, be who you are, just go do that. Don’t be in a hurry to do things.”

Torres is playing for the first time since mid-June, when he suffered a season-ending injury that required Tommy John surgery on his non-throwing elbow.

If Torres starts the season in the minors and spends two weeks there, the Yankees would get an extra year of team control.

Gleyber Torres may be trying to do 'too much' as he hopes to start on Opening Day, which seems unlikely at this point

(Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

As far as the competition at second is concerned, Boone has been extremely impressed with Tyler Wade, 23, who could come away with the Opening Day job. “He continues to be an absolute spark when he plays,” Boone said of Wade, who made his own “Web Gem” late in ranging far to his left. Solid utility man Ronald Torreyes and veteran Danny Espinosa are also in the mix.

THE LEFT OVERS

Giancarlo Stanton didn’t get any flies this time around in left. He did cleanly field a pair of hits, though.

“I was fine with it,” said Stanton, who had trouble with the sun and wind on Sunday, failing to come up with any of the three balls hit to him.

Giancarlo Stanton is still adjusting to left field.

(John Raoux/AP)

“I got a little bit of action. That’s what we need. Keep working at it.”

Stanton admitted that going from right to left has been an adjustment.

Stanton also roped a double to left.

SPEED THRILLS

Boone said speedster Estevan Florial reminds him of Tony Fernandez at the plate with more pop in terms of “just how smooth he was.” “There’s really not a lot he can’t do on the field,” Boone said of the five-tool prospect. … Jacoby Ellsbury (oblique) and Clint Frazier (concussion) remain day-to-day. The Bombers were hoping to ramp up Frazier a little on Tuesday, though Boone was unsure if he was going to do any baseball activity. … Jordan Montgomery battled through 3.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits while walking four and striking out four, while Billy McKinney blasted a three-run homer in the Yankees’ 7-2 victory over the Tigers.